Autumn in Savannah, Halloween to Thanksgiving
Okay, so autumn in Savannah. The heat finally lets go, the afternoon light turns gold, and you end up walking everywhere. October gets a little spooky (Halloween falls on a Saturday this year) and Thanksgiving gets very cozy (Thursday, November 26). Where to stay for all of it? Stay at The Ann Savannah. Here’s how we’d spend it: a ghost tour on Halloween, a film at the SCAD festival, and Thanksgiving dinner hosted in your own apartment-style suite.
What Makes Halloween in Savannah, Georgia Worth Planning For?
Savannah is often billed as America’s most haunted city, and October is when it plays the part. Begin at Colonial Park Cemetery, open since 1750 and an easy walk from Ann Street. The worn headstones set the scene, and a good guide fills in the rest: nearly 700 victims of the 1820 yellow fever epidemic share a single mass grave, and Union soldiers who camped here are said to have altered the dates on the markers for amusement. Take a ghost tour after dark, and save Bonaventure Cemetery for daylight, when the arching oaks are your reason to go.
Back at The Ann, go downstairs. Little James pours the Golden Hour Aperitivo daily from 6 to 8 PM, a sensible warm-up before your tour, and stays open until 10 for the nightcap. Order the Midnight Margarita, the Halloween cocktail, which glows violet-to-magenta and comes with a marshmallow-drizzle and black lava salt rim. Add a bowl of Whipped Feta with dill, then pass both around and compare which story rattled you most.
What Else Is Happening Halloween Week?
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival runs October 24 to 31, so Halloween is also its final day. Individual tickets go on sale Friday, October 2, and this year’s festival opens with A Talent for Murder and honors Helen Mirren. Films are screened at Trustees Theater on Broughton Street. From The Ann you’re two blocks from the Savannah College of Art and Design’s main campus, so after a late screening it’s an easy stroll home.
What Does Thanksgiving in Savannah Look Like?
Fast-forward about a month and Thanksgiving is where the apartment-style suites come into their own. The loft suites run from two to four bedrooms, sleeping up to eight, so there’s space for parents, cousins and friends alike. The Ann is dog-friendly too, up to two per suite, so bring yours along. Someone takes charge of the stove, everyone else hovers, and the kitchen gives them room to. The full-sized refrigerator holds the leftovers for Friday’s sandwiches, and the in-suite washer and dryer handle the morning after.
You’ll probably want a night out too, over the weekend or on Thanksgiving itself. Belford’s Seafood & Steaks, on the corner of City Market, is a dependable pick for seafood and steaks, and Plant Riverside District puts a long row of restaurants along the riverfront. Reserve ahead for the holiday weekend.
Thursday morning, the United Way Turkey Trot runs through Daffin Park and Ardsley Park, if you’d like to earn your second helping. On Saturday, the Forsyth Farmers Market sets up in the southern end of Forsyth Park from 9 AM to 1 PM, with the park about 22 minutes on foot from Ann Street. That evening the Savannah Lighted Boat Parade moves along the river, and the Bonaventure Cemetery After Hours tour runs that night too, if you’re ready for one more ghost story. The Autumn at The Ann rate takes 10% off an advance purchase through November 21.
Come Stay a While
Halloween is a night and Thanksgiving is a weekend, but both are better with a few extra days around them. Stay three nights or more and Stay Longer takes 20% off your entire reservation. Bring the dog (up to two per suite, 50 pounds each, with a $150 pet fee) and the car (valet is $50 per vehicle, per night).
Little James is open whether or not you’re staying. Golden Hour starts at six.